Automobiles, and particularly passenger cars, are undergoing drastic design changes primarily because of demands that the cars be smaller. This has diminished, or perhaps even removed entirely, available space for the storage of articles such as personal luggage, suitcases, and the like, necessary for travel. There is no longer space interior of the car, either in the passenger compartments or under the rear deck, for this purpose.
It has, of course, been known to provide luggage racks of one kind or another on the exterior surfaces of cars which would serve as supports for luggage and in the use of which luggage could be lashed down by ropes, belts and the like.
Known luggage racks of the basic type that are presently available are such as those disclosed in the following prior patents:
______________________________________ Inventor U.S. Pat. No. Date Granted ______________________________________ J. A. Bott 4,099,658 July 11, 1978 J. A. Bott 3,253,755 May 31, 1966 J. A. Bott 3,330,454 July 11, 1967 J. A. Bott 4,015,760 April 5, 1977 J. A. Bott 4,055,284 October 25, 1977 ______________________________________
and the following pending applications of J. A. Bott:
______________________________________ Our Case No. Serial No. Filing Date ______________________________________ 52 759,495 January 14, 1977 76 952,393 October 18, 1978 81 9,608 February 5, 1979 ______________________________________